The present invention relates to a knee pillow, and more particularly to a knee pillow which can be positioned between the patient's legs to facilitate restful sleep.
Many people have medical problems which interfere with their sleep. These problems include back discomfort caused by nerve irritation or trauma, painful arthritis, knee conditions, and sacroiliac discomfort. Similarly, persons who suffer from paralysis of their lower extremities must necessarily remain in positions, either sitting or reclining, in which the relative position of their knees and ankles change little, although slight motion occurs on a regular basis, such as when the patient is lifted or turned by others. Prolonged contact of the knees and ankles can lead to bruising or chafing. Finally, persons recovering from certain medical procedures, or pregnant women, are often required to rest or sleep in positions that result in prolonged contact of the knees and ankles, thereby necessitating some mechanism for comfortably preventing such contact.
To facilitate a restful sleep, doctors have long recommended that patients having these and other problems sleep on their side with a pillow placed between their legs. However, there are several problems associated with the placement of a conventional pillow between the patient's legs. A conventional pillow is not shaped properly, and it is difficult to position a conventional pillow comfortably between the patient's legs. Further, the conventional pillow is easily displaced during the night due to the patient's movement, necessitating an inconvenient and often difficult repositioning of the pillow.